Foldable overshoe



Jan. 3, 1961 H. B. JEFFRIES FOLDABLE OVERSHOE Filed Dec. 23, 1958 Harriett B. Jeffr/bs 1N VEN TOR.

r- 2,966,748 Patented Jan. 3, 1961 FOLDABLE OVERSHOE Harriett B. Jelfries, 525 S. 2nd St., Apt. 10, Louisville, Ky.

Filed Dec. 23, 1958, Ser. No. 782,508

1 Claim. (Cl. 36-7.2)

This invention comprises a novel and useful foldable overshoe and more particularly relates to a compact and inexpensive construction of an overshoe especially adapted for convenient and compact packaging as for example in a ladys purse.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive, lightweight but highly serviceable construction of a foldable overshoe which is especially characterized by its ability to be compactly folded into a very small package thereby adapting it for disposition in a ladys purse and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a foldable overshoe in accordance with the preceding object which shall be capable of construction from an inexpensive, lightweight plastic sheet material.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible or foldable overshoe in accordance with the preceding objects which shall be capable of fabrication in attractive appearances, shapes and colors.

More specifically, it is an important object of the invention to provide a foldable overshoe fabricated from a thin pliable sheet material such as a suitable plastic or the like and wherein the toe portion of the article shall be collapsible and foldable within itself into a very fiat compass.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figures 1-7 show a first embodiment in accordance with the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is aperspective view of a suitable embodiment of a collapsible or foldable overshoe especially adapted for use with a ladys shoe;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the article of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the same;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of Figure 1 and showing in particular the manner in which pleats are formed in the toe portion of the overshoe to facilitate compact collapsing of the same;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the device in its collapsed position;

Figure 6 is a top plan view showing the collapsed device folded over upon itself into its final compact form for storage; and,

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing a satisfactory form of envelope folder in which a pair of overshoes when folded as in Figure 6 may be stored.

Referring first to the embodiment of Figures 1-6, it will be observed that the shoe protector illustrated therein consists of a half overshoe designated generally by the numeral 10 and provided with ankle straps 12. The half overshoe is composed of an inexpensive pliable thin sheet material of a plastic nature preferably, although thin rubber or other materials may be employed in some instances. However, the material Will necessarily be water impervious in nature.

The overshoe or shoe protector has its body portion 10 composed of a sole 14 together with an upper 16. As will be best apparent from Figure 2, the sole has a straight forward edge as at 18 extending transversely of the shoe and from the opposite ends of this forward edge a pair of rearwardly divergent side edges 20 and 22 are seen, these side edges extending to points of maximum width at 24 and 26 respectively. From these points, the side edges then are rearwardly convergent as at 28 and 30 to the rearmost portion of the sole which is represented by the dotted line at 32. From the line 32, the sole has an integral upwardly inclined shank portion 34 with rearwardly convergent side edges 36 and 38 which at their upward rearward end terminate in a transverse edge as at 40. Preferably the bottom surface of the sole has a suitable area provided with an anti-skid surface as at 42 of any desired character. As will be readily appreciated, it may be deemed preferable to form the sole 14 of a thicker material than the body portion 16 of the shoe in the interest of greater resistance to wear.

The body portion of the shoe or upper 16 consists of a single piece of a thin pliable water impervious material, preferably of the same type of material as the sole. This material is provided with edges complementary to those of the sole and which may be joined to the sole at the edges as by heat sealing to simulate stitching as shown at 43. From Figure 1 it will be apparent that this stitching extends from the rearward edge 40 of the shank portion 34 along both side edges 36 and 38, then along the side edges 28 and 30, thence along the edges 22 and 24 and across the front edge 18 to thereby securely unite the upper to the sole. The ankle straps 12 are suitably secured in any desired manner to the upper portion of the rearward section of the upper, so that when the shoe is inserted into the open rearward end of the upper 16, the toe portion of the shoe may be inserted in the toe portion of the protector and the straps 12 secured about the back of the wearers shoe or heel.

The toe portion of the upper is designated generally by the numeral 44 and as will be apparent from Figures 1 and 4 in particular, is preferably flat in nature. Sufficient material is included in the toe portion of the upper to enable the sides 46 of the toe portion to have inwardly directed folds or pleats 48 therein as shown in Figure 4 in the open position of the toe, and as shown in Figure 5 in the collapsed or folded position of the toe and shoe. A suitable ornament as at 50 may be secured to the upper plgrtion of the toe 44 to improve the appearance of the s cc.

Shown at 52 in Figure 7 is a suitable carrying case for the device. This case which may be of any suitable material is a wallet-like character preferably comprising a single sheet of material forming a base 54, with the ends of the material folded over upon itself as at 56 and 58 to provide a pair of pockets into which may be received as shown in Figure 7 a pair of the folded and collapsed shoe protectors.

As shown in Figure 6, the device may be compactly folded with the toe portion collapsed in the manner indicated in Figure 5, and with the shank portion and the straps then folded forwardly into the toe of the device to thereby provide a flat compact package insertible in the container 52. This form of protector and its carrying case is particularly adapted for convenient carrying in a ladys purse or the like.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention scribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.'

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A shoe protector formed from pliable water impervious sheet material and comprising a flat sole having a straight transverse front edge, a pair of rearwardly divergent side edge portions extending from the ends of said front edge, a pair of rearwardly convergent side edge portions extending from the rear ends of the divergent side edge portions, and a straight transverse rear edge extending between the rear ends of the convergent side edge portions, a flat shank portion contiguous with the rear edge of said sole and extending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom, and an upper having a front edge, rearwardly divergent side edge portions and rearwardly convergent side edge portions in register with and secured to the corresponding edge and edge portions of said sole, the rearwardly convergent side edge portions of said upper extending rearwardly beyond the rear edge of the sole and being secured to side edges of said shank portion, and pleats provided in said upper whereby the same may be folded to a fiat form on said sole.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 837,870 Myers Dec. 4, 1906 1,260,888 Farley Mar. 26, 1918 1,304,593 Parmenter May 27, 1919 1,748,607 Jarrett Feb. 25, 1930 2,276,582 Krevis Mar. 17, 1942 2,292,770 Platkin Aug. 11, 1942 2,721,399 Emmer Oct. 25, 1955 2,839,845 Burton June 24, 1958 2,852,867 Wagner et al Sept. 23, 1958 

